UPDATE 1-Space shuttle Enterprise docks at New York museum home

June 06, 2012|Reuters

(Updates with arrival at museum)

By Mathew Murphy

NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) - The space shuttle Enterprise -named after the spaceship in Star Trek - floated past the Statueof Liberty on a barge on Wednesday and docked near its new homeat a museum on New York's Hudson River.

Crowds of people turned out to see the retired spacecraftmake its final approach to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museumwhere it will go on display atop a World War II aircraftcarrier.

"Did you see the shuttle?!" said a police officer running upto his uniformed colleagues like an excited child.

The crowd, from small children to elderly New Yorkers andforeign tourists, applauded as the shuttle settled into placenear the crane that will hoist it onto its new floating home.

"It's a piece of history there," said 85-year-old MortyStein, as helicopters circled overhead.

For a shuttle that never made it into space, Enterprise hashad quite a journey. In April, hundreds of tourists and NewYorkers watched in awe as Enterprise flew over the citypiggy-backed on a Boeing 747 Jumbo jet.

Enterprise drew more crowds on Wednesday on the banks of theHudson to watch the NASA spacecraft make its final approach toits new floating home on Manhattan's west side.

Despite never flying in space, Enterprise holds a specialplace in American history having been the first of NASA's spaceshuttles. In 1977 it was released in mid-air from a Boeing 747for a series of gliding and landing tests at Edwards Air Forcebase in California prior to the first shuttle flight in 1981.

Enterprise was originally going to be named Constitution inhonor of the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. But a fierceletter-writing campaign by Star Trek fans convinced the WhiteHouse to rename it Enterprise after the fictitious spaceshipthat Captain Kirk and Mr Spock flew to the frontlines of anintergalactic battle with the Klingons on the popular TV show.

Experts say Enterprise captured the hearts and minds of manyby embodying the best of American ingenuity.

In April last year NASA announced it would retire its spaceshuttle fleet to locations in New York, Virginia, California andFlorida. It decided that Discovery would take Enterprise's placeat the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Virginia andthat Enterprise would be brought to New York.

Since its joy-ride over the city in April, Enterprise hasbeen kept in a protective de-icing tent at JFK InternationalAirport. On Saturday, the 171,000-pound Enterprise was lifted bycrane onto a barge, a process that took about three hours.

It toured Queens and Brooklyn on Sunday pulled by a tugboat,passing by Coney Island and traveling under theVerrazano-Narrows Bridge before docking in Port Elizabeth, NewJersey.

Officials at Enterprise's new home, the Intrepid Museum,which itself is a repurposed former World War II aircraftcarrier, expect the space shuttle to be a major attraction foryears to come.